When to Start Taking CPP for Your Retirement Strategy

Estimated reading time: 16 minutes

Deciding when to start taking CPP (Canada Pension Plan) is one of the most significant financial choices you will make in your later years. It is not merely a box to check on a government form; it is a strategic decision that affects your monthly income for the rest of your life. For many Canadians, the default assumption has always been to start collecting at age 65. However, the system offers considerable flexibility, allowing you to tailor your start date to your specific health needs, financial situation, and retirement goals.

The question of when to start taking CPP does not have a single correct answer. It depends entirely on your personal circumstances. You can choose to receive payments as early as age 60, wait until the standard age of 65, or defer them until you turn 70. Each option carries distinct mathematical consequences that permanently alter the size of your monthly cheque.

Navigating these options requires a clear understanding of the trade-offs. While immediate cash flow is appealing, the long-term benefits of waiting can be substantial. This guide explores the eligibility rules, the financial impact of timing, and the specific scenarios that might make one choice superior to another for your retirement plan.

Key Takeaways

• Flexibility is key: You can claim CPP as early as age 60 with a reduced amount, or defer until age 70 for an increased monthly benefit.
• The cost of early access: Claiming at 60 can permanently reduce your monthly payments by up to 36%.
• The reward for waiting: Deferring past age 65 increases your benefit, potentially offering 36% to 42% more monthly income if you wait until age 70.
• Consider longevity: Your life expectancy is a primary factor; living past your late 70s generally makes delaying CPP financially advantageous.
• Look at the big picture: Your decision should account for other income sources, tax implications, and Old Age Security (OAS) clawback thresholds.

When to Start Taking CPP: Quick Overview and Eligibility

The Canada Pension Plan is designed to replace a portion of your income when you retire. While the standard age to begin receiving the retirement pension is 65, the system is structured to accommodate different life stages. You can choose to start receiving your pension as early as age 60 or as late as age 70.

To be eligible for the CPP retirement pension, you must meet two basic criteria:

• You must be at least 60 years old.
• You must have made at least one valid contribution to the CPP.

Valid contributions are typically made through work done in Canada. However, eligibility can also be established through credits received from a spouse or common-law partner following a divorce or separation. It is important to note that unlike Old Age Security (OAS), which has a residence requirement of 10 years in Canada after age 18, CPP eligibility is based on contributions, not residence.

As of late 2025, the conversation around retirement ages in Canada is evolving. While the standard claiming age remains 65, there are ongoing transitions in the broader retirement framework. Some reports indicate discussions regarding a gradual increase in the full retirement age to 67 for individuals born after 1960. However, official sources maintain that the flexibility to claim between 60 and 70 remains the core structure of the program. This flexibility ensures that regardless of broader policy shifts, you retain control over the specific timing of your claim.

How Early vs Delayed CPP Changes Your Monthly Benefit

The decision to take CPP early or delay it is fundamentally a trade-off between the number of years you receive payments and the amount of money you receive each month. The government adjusts your payment amount to ensure the system remains fair, regardless of when you start.

The Cost of Claiming Early

If you choose to start taking CPP before age 65, your monthly benefit is reduced. This reduction is calculated at approximately 0.6% for every month you claim before your 65th birthday. While 0.6% may seem small in isolation, the cumulative effect is significant.

If you claim at age 60—the earliest possible moment—you are claiming 60 months early. This results in a total reduction of up to 36% compared to what you would have received at 65. For example, if your standard benefit would have been $1,000 a month at age 65, taking it at 60 could drop that amount to $640. This reduction is permanent; your payments do not increase to the standard amount once you turn 65.

The Benefit of Delaying

Conversely, the system incentivizes you to wait. For every month you delay receiving CPP after age 65, your monthly payment increases by approximately 0.7%. This deferral credit continues until age 70.

If you wait until age 70 to start your pension, you benefit from 60 months of increases. This can result in a monthly payment that is approximately 36% to 42% higher than the standard benefit at age 65. Using the previous example, a standard $1,000 benefit could grow to roughly $1,420 per month simply by waiting five years. This increased amount continues for the rest of your life and is indexed to inflation, providing a robust defense against rising costs in your later years. This strategy aligns well with maintaining financial independence, similar to the goals of the Age Well at Home initiative.

The structure is designed to offer higher lifetime payouts for those who live longer. If you have a longer life expectancy, delaying your claim allows you to maximize the total dollars you extract from the plan.

Break-Even and Lifetime-Income Approach to the Decision

To make an informed choice, it helps to look at the "break-even age." This is the age at which the total amount of money collected from starting CPP late catches up to and surpasses the total amount collected from starting early.

Understanding the Math

When you take CPP at 60, you receive smaller cheques, but you receive them for five extra years before a person who waits until 65 receives their first payment. The person waiting until 65 (or 70) gets much larger cheques, allowing them to eventually catch up in total lifetime income.

• Early Claiming (Age 60): Provides immediate cash flow. This strategy yields a higher total lifetime benefit only if you pass away before reaching the break-even age.
• Delayed Claiming (Age 70): Provides higher monthly income. This strategy yields a higher total lifetime benefit if you live beyond the break-even age.

Estimating Your Break-Even Point

The break-even age typically falls in the late 70s to early 80s. If you expect to live past this point, delaying your pension often results in more total money in your pocket. Factors such as your current health status, family history of longevity, and lifestyle choices are critical variables.

Statistics Canada provides data on life expectancy that can serve as a baseline for these calculations. If your family has a history of living well into their 90s, the mathematical advantage usually swings heavily toward delaying your claim. Conversely, if you have health challenges that might shorten your life expectancy, prioritizing immediate income at age 60 is often the rational financial move.

Tax, OAS, and Other Interactions That Affect Maximization

Your CPP pension does not exist in a vacuum. It interacts with other elements of the Canadian retirement income system, specifically taxes and Old Age Security (OAS).

Coordinating with Old Age Security (OAS)

OAS is a separate benefit available at age 65. Like CPP, OAS can be deferred up to age 70 in exchange for higher monthly payments (increasing by 0.6% per month deferred). However, unlike CPP, OAS is funded by general tax revenue and is subject to a "recovery tax," commonly known as the OAS clawback.

If your net annual income exceeds a certain threshold, the government reduces your OAS payments. Because CPP income is taxable and counts toward this net income, a large CPP payment (resulting from delaying until age 70) could potentially push your income over the threshold, triggering a clawback. It is sometimes strategic to take CPP and OAS at different times to manage your annual taxable income and minimize this recovery tax.

Tax Planning and Income Splitting

CPP income is fully taxable. If you have significant income from RRSPs or a workplace pension, adding a maximum CPP benefit on top might push you into a higher marginal tax bracket.

For couples, pension income splitting is a valuable tool. The government allows eligible retirees to split up to 50% of eligible pension income—including CPP—with a lower-income spouse. This can lower the household's overall tax bill. Coordinating your start dates allows you to optimize this split. For instance, one spouse might delay their claim to maximize the benefit available for splitting later, while the other claims early to provide cash flow in the interim.

RRSP and RRIF Withdrawals

You must also consider your Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) and Registered Retirement Income Funds (RRIFs). RRIF withdrawals are mandatory starting at age 72 and are fully taxable. If you delay CPP until 70, you might find yourself with a sudden spike in taxable income when mandatory RRIF withdrawals and maximized CPP payments hit simultaneously. Planning your RRIF drawdown schedule alongside your CPP start date helps smooth out your income and keep your tax rate efficient.

Practical Strategies for Maximizing Pension Benefits

When you put the rules and math together, several distinct strategies emerge for different types of retirees.

Strategy 1: The Longevity Deferral

If you are in good health, have a family history of longevity, and do not need the money immediately, the most effective strategy is often to delay CPP until age 70. This maximizes your inflation-indexed income for the later stages of life, acting as a form of longevity insurance.

Strategy 2: The Early Cash Flow

If you are facing health challenges, have a shortened life expectancy, or have lost your job unexpectedly in your early 60s, claiming at age 60 makes sense. While you accept a permanent reduction, you gain immediate financial stability. This is also a valid strategy if you believe you can invest the early payments and earn a return that outperforms the implicit return of delaying, although this carries market risk.

Strategy 3: The Working Beneficiary

You can start receiving CPP while you are still working. If you are under age 65 and working while receiving CPP, you must continue to make CPP contributions. These contributions go toward a "Post-Retirement Benefit" (PRB), which is added to your monthly pension check the following year. If you are between 65 and 70, these contributions are voluntary. Continuing to work while delaying your claim is a powerful way to boost your eventual payout, as you gain both the deferral credits and the value of additional contribution years.

Strategy 4: Spousal Coordination

Couples should view their CPP pensions as a joint asset. A common strategy involves the higher-earning spouse delaying their claim to age 70 to secure the largest possible guaranteed income for the household, which also increases the potential survivor benefit. Meanwhile, the lower-earning spouse might claim at 60 or 65 to provide cash flow for the early retirement years.

Real Canadian Scenarios and Quick Examples

To illustrate how these rules apply in real life, consider these three common scenarios based on the current framework.

Scenario 1: Health Concerns and Immediate Need

Consider a 60-year-old individual who has worked in manual labour and is now facing health limitations. They have limited personal savings. By claiming CPP at age 60, they accept a reduction of up to 36% on their monthly payment. However, this decision provides them with 15 to 20 years of guaranteed income during a period when they might otherwise struggle to cover basic expenses. For someone with a lower life expectancy, this strategy often yields a higher total lifetime payout than waiting.

Scenario 2: The Healthy Professional

A 60-year-old professional in excellent health plans to work part-time until age 70. They have sufficient income from employment and investments to cover their current lifestyle. By waiting until age 70 to claim, they increase their benefit by 0.6% to 0.7% for every month of deferral. This results in a monthly payment that is approximately 36% to 42% higher than if they had claimed at 65. If they live into their late 80s or 90s, they will receive tens of thousands of dollars more in total income compared to the standard claiming age.

Scenario 3: Strategic Spousal Timing

A married couple consists of one high income earner and one lower income earner. They want to minimize taxes and ensure the surviving spouse is protected. The lower earner claims their CPP at age 65 to contribute to household cash flow. The higher earner defers their claim until age 70. This maximizes the larger pension, which can be split for tax purposes while both are alive. Furthermore, if the higher earner passes away first, the surviving spouse may be eligible for a larger survivor benefit based on that maximized pension.

Practical Checklist: How to Decide When to Start Taking CPP

Making the final decision requires a step-by-step review of your personal data. Use this checklist to guide your planning process.

1. Obtain Your Official Estimate: Log in to your My Service Canada Account or contact Service Canada by phone. Request your CPP Statement of Contributions to see your projected monthly benefits at ages 60, 65, and 70.
2. Calculate Your Break-Even Age: Use the numbers from your estimate to calculate your break-even point. Determine how long you need to live for the delayed benefit to equal the cumulative early payments.
3. Assess Your Health: Be honest about your health status and review your family medical history. Compare your personal life expectancy against the break-even age you calculated.
4. Inventory Your Income: List all other sources of retirement income, including workplace pensions, RRSPs/RRIFs, and investments. Determine if you have enough "bridge income" to support yourself if you choose to delay CPP.
5. Review Spousal Factors: If you have a partner, analyze your pensions together. Look for opportunities to stagger start dates or use income splitting to reduce your combined tax bill.
6. Check OAS Clawback Risks: Estimate your net income at age 70 (including mandatory RRIF withdrawals). Ensure that a maximized CPP benefit will not inadvertently trigger a clawback of your Old Age Security.
7. Consult a Professional: If your situation involves multiple income streams or complex tax considerations, engage a fee-only financial planner to model different scenarios for you.
8. Submit Your Application: Once you have decided on a start date, apply through Service Canada. It is recommended to apply roughly 6 months before you want your payments to begin to allow for processing time.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I start taking CPP to get the most money over my lifetime?

The optimal age depends almost entirely on your life expectancy. If you expect to live past your late 70s or early 80s (specifically past the break-even age of approximately 77–82), delaying your claim until age 70 will typically generate the most money over your lifetime due to the increased monthly payments. However, if your life expectancy is lower, claiming at age 60 may result in a higher total cumulative payout despite the smaller monthly cheques.

What are the CPP retirement age options and how do they affect my cheque?

You can claim CPP anytime between age 60 and age 70. The standard age is 65. If you claim at 60, your cheque is permanently reduced by up to 36% compared to the standard amount. If you claim at 70, your cheque is permanently increased by up to 36% to 42% compared to the standard amount. The adjustments happen monthly, decreasing by roughly 0.6% for every month early and increasing by roughly 0.7% for every month delayed.

How does early vs delayed CPP change my monthly payment and total payout?

Taking CPP early gives you smaller monthly payments but spreads them over a longer period, providing immediate cash flow. Delaying CPP gives you significantly larger monthly payments but compresses them into a shorter period (fewer years of collecting). Your total payout depends on how long you live; living longer favours the delayed, higher-payment strategy.

At what age does delaying CPP become clearly better than taking it early?

Delaying typically becomes the mathematically superior choice if you live past the break-even age, which usually falls between 77 and 82 depending on inflation and investment return assumptions. If you live beyond this age range, the cumulative total of the larger, delayed payments will exceed the total of the smaller, early payments.

How does working after 60 affect my CPP decision?

Working after age 60 can boost your CPP benefits in two ways. First, your ongoing earnings add to your contribution history, potentially replacing lower-earning years in your calculation. Second, if you delay claiming while working, you accrue deferral credits of roughly 0.6% to 0.7% per month. If you claim CPP while working under age 65, you must continue contributing to the Post-Retirement Benefit; between 65 and 70, contributions are voluntary.

How do CPP decisions interact with OAS and RRSP/RRIF withdrawals?

Your CPP income is taxable and contributes to your net annual income. If your total income is too high, it can trigger a recovery tax (clawback) on your Old Age Security (OAS). Therefore, you must coordinate your CPP start date with your RRIF withdrawal schedule and OAS application to ensure your annual income remains tax-efficient and avoids unnecessary clawbacks.

Where can I get an official estimate of my CPP benefits?

You can obtain an official estimate of your CPP benefits by logging into your My Service Canada Account online. Alternatively, you can request an estimate by contacting Service Canada by phone. These estimates will show you exactly what your monthly pension would look like if you started at age 60, 65, or 70 based on your specific contribution history.

Deciding when to start taking CPP is a personal journey that balances mathematics with your lifestyle goals. Whether you prioritize the security of guaranteed higher income in your later years or the freedom of extra cash flow today, the flexibility of the Canadian system supports a wide range of retirement strategies. By assessing your health, your finances, and your family needs, you can choose the start date that best supports the retirement you have worked hard to achieve.